1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method to set setting information in a device, and a device to set setting information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, when a device is added to a network and installed, a user must set setting information used for network communication such as IP addresses. To eliminate such a cumbersome operation, there has been proposed a technology for automatically obtaining an IP address or the like by using a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) or the like, and setting the IP address in a device (e.g., JP A 2003-333055).
In the case of the technology that uses the DHCP or the like, however, there is a possibility that a different IP address will be assigned to the device each time the device obtains the IP address. Use of this technology has been unsuitable for a device where server system services are operated because, if the IP address is changed each time, a client cannot access the server unless he knows an IP address assigned after a change. On the other hand, if the device does not use the DHCP or the like at all, the device cannot obtain a proper IP address, and may not be able to perform network communication thereafter.
Moreover, when the device is installed, a variety of setting information must be set in addition to the IP address. Accordingly, a setting information transmitter may be used to periodically transmit setting information to the device. However, when the IP address is occasionally changed, there is a risk that the setting information transmitter will not be able to properly transmit the setting information to the device.